Which to use
“achten” is a verb and “achtzehn” is a num - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,378
- “achten” frequency rank
- #25,429
- “achtzehn” frequency rank
- 27807
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | achten | achtzehn |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | auf etwas Acht geben, etwas Beachtung schenken | die Kardinalzahl zwischen siebzehn und neunzehn |
Where the eye mixes achten and achtzehn
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. achten runs 6 letters (VCCCVC) against achtzehn's 8 (VCCCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses achten with achtzehn
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: achten is [ˈaxtn̩] while achtzehn is [ˈaxt͡seːn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs num), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27807, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
achten is recorded at frequency rank #2,378, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaxtn̩]. achtzehn is at rank #25,429, tagged as anum, pronounced [ˈaxt͡seːn].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 27807, this pair ranks #1,795,524 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of achten vs achtzehn
Shared letters: acehnt. Private to "achten": -. Private to "achtzehn": z.
"achten" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVC · "achtzehn" · 8 letters · shape VCCCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "achten" and "achtzehn" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "achten" or "achtzehn" show up more?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "achten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "achtzehn" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,795,524 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "achten" and "achtzehn" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "achten vs achtete". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,795,524 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.